A Living History Museum Central flywheels YESTERYEAR MUSEUM

2014 2ND QUARTER NEWSLETTER VOLUMN 30, ISSUE 2

FROM THE OFFICE / Submitted by Will Cooper 2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS BASKETS OFFICERS During the fall show (October 11th) we will be selling chances for the Op- portunity Baskets again this year. We would appreciate it if all members or President: Joan Caldwell Vice-President: Tom Caldwell members wives would donate a basket. Secretary: Will Cooper Treasurer: Dave Brenda Tonniges Ideas for baskets are: children’s items, school items, Halloween items, pet baskets, baby items, coffee baskets, or most anything. DIRECTORS

2016 If you do not have a basket for the container use a box covered with paper or foil. Hank Boyer Brad Yost They need to be delivered to the office the week of October 7th. Katie Reiss

2015 Also, cakes, brownies, or cupcakes are need October 11th for the cake walk. Marilyn Marietta Anyone that would like to volunteer for the Antique Engine and Steam Show Chris Housos are encouraged to call the office at 825-8743 and let us know what would Anthony Reiss Gary Hicks interest you during the show. If you have the time but are not sure what you would like to do, we would be more than happy place you in an area of need. 2014

This is a chance to help promote the museum to the public and leave a lasting Jerry May impression on all the visitors. Ron Sutton John Thelander Bryan Lorenson

EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS/ Submitted by Will Cooper The museum hosted a three day Cub Scout Day camp on June 26, 27 & 28. Eighteen scouts attended the camp held each day from 8am till 5pm. Activities included archery, horse riding, crafts, storytelling and much more. This is the third year the museum has hosted this event and we look forward to having the kids enjoy their time here. Weather was an issue this year as rain fell two out of the three days. However, it didn’t stop the scouts from accomplishing everything they wanted to. We look forward to having the Cub Scouts back again next year! The museum has also hosted several family reunions, numerous scout banquets and pinewood derby's and a group new to our facility titled “Singles In Agriculture”. REMINDER: If you plan to drive in the Tri-Rivers Fair Parade this year, it is on August 5th and the parade will start at 7:30pm. Please contact me at the office number of 785-825-8473 to enter the CKF delegation. Photo of scouts riding horses provided by the Mounted Sheriffs Patrol on the muse- um grounds. CENTRAL KANSAS FLYWHEELS Page 2

The Prairie Schooner/ Submitted by Will Cooper The prairie schooner, 19th-century cov- one) rather than endure the wagon’s constant jolting and ered wagon popularly used by emigrants traveling to the lurching. Ox teams were not controlled with reins, so the American West. In particular, it was the vehicle of choice on driver walked alongside the animals, using a whip and spo- the Oregon Trail. The name prairie schooner was derived ken commands to guide them. The usual average rate of from the wagon’s white canvas cover, or bonnet, which gave travel with such wagons on the Oregon Trail was about 2 it the appearance, from a distance, of the sailing ship known miles per hour, and the average distance covered each day as a schooner. was about 15 to 20 miles. This was an easy pace for both the pioneers and their animals. The prairie schooner was smaller and lighter than the Conestoga Wagon—which at the time was popular in the eastern for hauling freight—and therefore was more suitable for long-distance travel. Unlike the Conestoga, which had a body that angled up at each end and prevented cargo from tipping or falling out, the prairie schooner had a flat horizontal body. The typical box, the sides of which were lower than those of the Conestoga, was about 4 feet wide, 9 to 11 feet long, and 2 to 3 feet deep. With the bonnet, the wagon stood about 10 feet tall, and the total length of the wagon from front tongue and yoke to rear measured some 23 feet. The box sat on two sets of wheels of different sizes: the rear wheels were about 50 inches in diameter, and the front wheels (made smaller to facilitate turning) were about 44 inches. The wheels were made of wood, with iron bands fas- tened to the outside of the rims; at times, when the wood would shrink, these “tires” would separate from the rim.

The cotton canvas cover was of a double thickness, and the bonnet was often cantilevered out from the front and rear of the wagon bed for better protection of the interior during storms. The ends of the cover could also be tied for greater privacy and still more protection from rain or dust. The wag- on was waterproofed by painting or oiling it. Storage chests were often built to fit snugly against the inside of the wagon box, and others could be lashed outside. Extra storage space was often created by partitioning an area under a false floor and by sewing pockets onto the inside of the cover. A typical prairie schooner weighed about 1,300 pounds when empty, and the general goal was to keep the weight of the added cargo to no more than 2,000 pounds. Teams of 10 to 12 horses or mules or six yoked oxen typically were used to pull one of these wagons, with mules and oxen generally pre- ferred. Ideally, several more animals would be kept in reserve to replace those that became lame or worn-out along the route. Since prairie schooners had no suspension and the roads and trails at the time were rough, most people on long treks pre- ferred to walk alongside the wagon or ride a horse (if they had Page 3 VOLUMN 30, ISSUE 2

Historic Kansas Towns/ Legends of America Fort Dodge General Sully was sent home and General George Cus- Fort Dodge was one of the most important forts on the ter carried on the campaign. western frontier. It is located to the east of the Caches, a noted landmark on the Santa Fe Trail, and present day In its heyday, up to four companies of troops occupied the Dodge City, Kansas. The fort was established on April 10, post; but, as the Indian threat was reduced, it was only occu- 1865 by Captain Henry Pierce, by order of Major General pied by about a dozen men in its later years. In December, Grenville M. Dodge. The fort’s primary purpose was to pro- 1880, a portion of Fort Dodge's reserved Lands were tect the wagon trains along the Santa Fe Trail on their way opened to homesteaders. However, the vast majority of to . those who settled were not homesteaders, but, ra- ther, Dodge City residents including saloon keepers, gam- The need for a fort at this location was great; an unusually blers, and "ladies of the night". large camp site for the fort was situated where the dry route and the wet route of the Santa Fe Trail intersected. The dry Two years later, the fort was closed in June, 1882, creating route came across the divide from Larned on the Pawnee surprise among the Dodge City people who were terrified of River, while the wet route followed the river. Indian raids. The last of the troops marched southward to The dry route, often called the Jornado de Muerti, the journey of Camp Supply when the flag was lowered on October 2, death, was often without water the whole distance and trains 1882. Fort Dodge, Guardian of the commercial frontier, the would lay up to recruit after making the passage. When the Indi- cattleman and homesteader, had fulfilled its purpose. A sin- ans discovered this popular stopping off point, they began to gle custodian was assigned to keep watch over the property. attack the many unwary emigrants and freighters traveling During this period, a number of buildings were torn down through the area. or moved away, but many of the stone buildings remained.

Initial fortifications were crude earth dugouts excavated The military reservation was transferred to the Interior De- along the north bank of the Arkansas River. Many men first partment on January 12, 1885. The following year, more of stationed there were Confederates who preferred a fight the fort's land was opened for settlement in May, 1886 and with the Indians to languishing, perhaps dying, in northern about 100 claims were staked off. One of these claims was prisons. The soldiers had no lumber or hardware, so they made by Dodge City entrepreneur, Robert Wright, who had to use the available materials, grass and earth, to create managed to exploit the facilities by housing drovers who the 70 sod dugouts. These were 10 X 12 feet in circumfer- awaited the sale of their cattle, and by purchasing land sur- ence and seven feet deep. A door to the south faced the riv- rounding the Fort with money he earned selling whiskey and er and a hole in the roof admitted air and light. Banks of buffalo hides. earth were bunks for the soddies that slept from two to four men. Sanitation was poor and spring rains flooded the dug- In the meantime, some Dodge City residents were working outs. Pneumonia, dysentery, diarrhea and malaria were com- with government officials to utilize the still functional build- mon that first year in the isolated fort. ings for a retired soldiers' home. After much work toward that goal, a federal law was enacted in 1889 authorizing the In 1867 Fort Dodge was relocated and rebuilt in stone build- use of the post as a soldiers' home by the State of Kansas. ings. In 1868 Comanche and Kiowa Indians attacked Fort The Kansas Soldiers' Home was opened on in early 1890. Dodge, killing four soldiers and wounding seventeen. As a When rebuilding and repairing began on the Soldiers' Home, result, General Philip Sheridan came to Fort Dodge in the the character of the famous old post was sustained. summer of 1868. He pitched his camp on the hill north of the fort and started outfitting his command against Old troopers began arriving. Most of them were Civil War the Indians. veterans, but, there were others who were veterans of the Mexican and Indian Wars. Eventually, dependents and rela- In the fall of 1868, General Alfred Sully took command at tives of Kansas veterans were admitted along with Confeder- the fort in preparation for winter campaign against the ate and African-American veterans. It would eventually also plains Indians. When the preparations for the expedition house veterans of the Spanish-American, Philippines, Boxer were well under way and his army practically ready to march, Rebellion, World War I, and II, Korean and Vietnam Wars. CENTRAL KANSAS FLYWHEELS Page 4

KANSAS TRIVIA / Submitted by Will Cooper KANSAS TRIVIA / cont’d 1. Which city is the home of the Kansas Barbed Wire Muse- 10. Which frontier army scout who guided military units in um? Kansas was described by George Armstrong Custer as the a. LaCrosse b. Dodge City “most famous scout on the plains?” c. Abilene d. Wichita a. James “Wild Bill” Hickok b. William “Buffalo Bill” Cody 2. What is the name of the site where a major Civil War bat- c. Kit Carson tle in Kansas was fought? d. William Bent a. Baxter Springs battlefield b. Trading Post battlefield 11. Which Kiowa war chief was known as “Orator of the c. Marais de Cygnes Massacre Plains?” d. Mine Creek Battlefield a. White Plume b. Satanta c. Geronimo d. Sitting Bull 3. Which city was struck by tornadoes consecutively in 1916, 1917, and 1918 on May 20? 12. During the years of the Santa Fe Trail, which Kansas a. Hesston b. Garden City river served as the border between the United States and c. Codell d. Liberal Mexico? a. Kansas River b. Neosho River 4. Which Kansas city is the windiest in the U.S.? c. Arkansas River d. Smoky Hill River a. Dodge City b. Windom c. Strong City d. Ellsworth 13. Which tribe of American Indians did Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado meet in the Quivira Region 5. What is the name of the sinkhole located near Ashland, of Kansas? Kansas, that has never been known to be dry? a. Pawnee Indians b. Cheyenne Indians a. Buffalo Bill’s Well b. Elm Springs c. Kansa Indians d. Wichita Indians c. Big Well d. St. Jacob’s Well 14. Approximately how many buffalo hides did it take to 6. Which “giant” Kansan became a world champion boxer make an average sized tipi? when he defeated the defending world heavyweight boxer a. 30 to 40 b. 15 to 20 hides Jack Johnson in 26 rounds? c. 5 to 10 d. 10 to 15 a. Jess Willard b. Joe Lewis c. Max Schmeling d. Tommy Burns Answers on Page 6

7. How many oxen did it take to pull the 6,000 pound over- sized wagon load used on the Santa Fe Trail? a. 4 b. 6 c. 8 d. 10

8. A frontier explorer said of the West, “these vast plains of the western hemisphere may become in time equally cele- brated as the sandy deserts of Africa.” Who was he? a. Zebulon Pike b. c. Meriwether Lewis d. Kit Carson

9. Kansas was the first state to raise what kind of military unit? a. National Guard b. African American infantry regiment c. Plains calvary unit d. Special forces unit Page 5 VOLUMN 30, ISSUE 2

KANSAS HUMOR / Legends of America You Know You’re In Kansas When .....

You know the meaning of Rock Chalk Jayhawk. Your excuse for being late is the cows got out, and the boss accepts it MANY times. Your closest neighbor is more than a mile away, and you can still see him from your front porch. Your main drag in town is two blocks long.

Except in Johnson County, a Mercedes Benz is not a status You've been to see Santa at the North Pole in Colora- symbol. A Ford F150 4x4 is. do Springs more than once.

Traffic congestion is ten cars waiting to pass a combine on the highway. You learned how to shoot a gun before you learned how to multiply. A shotgun is your idea of instant messaging. You learn that a seat belt makes a pretty good branding iron. The radio buttons on a new car are all preset to country. What in the world is a vegetarian special? We don't even You've had classes canceled for heat and snow in the same know what that is much less serve it at the local diner. month. The temperature drops below 95, you feel a bit chilly. You support the Chiefs through thick and thin. You're ready to shoot the next person who asks about Toto No one would dream of putting vinyl upholstery in a car or or Dorothy. not having air conditioning. You have to travel 20 miles just to go to the nearest mall You know that Mt. Oread is really only just a hill. The potatoes cook underground, and all you have to do to have lunch is to pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper. You have seen people wear bib overalls to funerals and wed- dings. The terms Sooners, Huskers and Tigers cause the hairs on the back of your neck to stand up straight and your You eat hot chilies to cool your mouth off. blood pressure to rise.

You've never met any celebrities. (Bob Dole isn't a celebrity, he's your neighbor.) You prefer the Little Apple over the Big Apple as a place to live. You can say 110 degrees without fainting. You had at least one summer job that was bucking bails or You know in your heart that K-State can beat Oklahoma in custom cutting. football. You understand the difference between 3.2 and 6 point, and Hot water now comes out of both taps. more than once you've made a beer run to another state.

Going on vacation means going to Hutch to the You are not surprised to find movie rental, ammunition and fair, Abilene to Ike's house or Boot Hill to see Miss Kitty. bait all in the same store.

CENTRAL KANSAS FLYWHEELS Page 6

KANSAS TRIVIA ANSWERS PHOTOS OF KANSAS Here are the answers to the trivia questions from Page 4.

1. a. LaCrosse 2. c. Mine Creek Battlefield 3. c. Codell 4. a. Dodge City 5. d. St. Jacob’s Well 6. a. Jess Willard 7. d. 10 8. a. Zebulon Pike 9. b. African American Infantry Regiment 10. a. James “Wild Bill” Hickok 11. b. Satanta 12. c. Arkansas River 13. d. Wichita Indians 14. b. 15 to 20 hides

Page 7 VOLUMN 30, ISSUE 2

2014 MEMBERSHIP MEMBERSHIP LEVELS Below is a listing of the current membership. We certainly TYPES OF ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP LEVELS would like to see this number grow, so if you know of any- one that would have an interest in the Museum, please pro- COG $40.00 vide them with the information to contact the office. We are Basic voting membership with merchant discounts and newsletter. more than happy to provide interested persons with the SPOKE $60.00 TO $249.00 membership levels and the benefits of belonging to the Mu- All of the above, PLUS merchant discounts, free Museum admis- seum. sion and annual listing Newsletter.

2014 MEMBERS MOMENTUM WHEEL $250.00 to $499.00 All of the above, PLUS free admission to all shows and events. A. Jay Andersen Clayton Anderson Kenneth Bourbina Richard Bowman FLYWHEEL $500.00 TO $1,499.00 Hank Boyer Richard Buhler All of the above, PLUS free admission to all shows and events for Robert Buster Tom Caldwell entire family and guests, an advertisement in the Newsletter, and Joan Caldwell Phil Coleman half price use of any facility twice during the year. Will Cooper Richard Dielman John Deck Ronald Gipe BIG WHEEL $1,500.00 AND UP Ron Gross Ronald Heflin All of the above, PLUS meals at events, and advertisement in pro- Evelyn Henricks Gary Hicks grams and a sign or banner on the premises. Twice annual use of Monty Hole Ted Housos facility is free. Sherry Housos Kenneth Hudson Eldon Hyle Francis Komarek STEAM ENGINE One time payment of $3,000.00 Linda Komarek Jim Komarek (Life Member) Bryan Lorenson Marilyn Marietta All of the previous benefits and more. Talk to any BOD Officer Elizabeth Marietta Gary Neuschafer today! Jack O’Neal Neola O’Neal Leroy Quade Nellie Quade Anthony Reiss Katie Reiss Dave Rettele Rod Rogers Jamie Samson Duane Snyder Ron Sutton LaVonne Sutton Dwight Tarn John Thelander Arnold Tillberg Brenda Tonniges Where History Comes Alive! Charles Waddle Kenneth Wasserman Gary Winslow Corina Winslow Brad Yost We appreciate your support! NEED SPACE? Keep us in mind when you have the need for addi- tional space when hosting an event. With our fully functional kitchen, dining hall for seating up to 80 people and all the outdoor space you need, we are the perfect solution for those events requiring room for large groups. Call the office at (785) 825-8473 and talk to Will about pricing and availability. Don’t forget, all museum exhibits and building are available for your group to tour and enjoy! A Living History Museum

Phone: 785-825-8473 Fax: 785-825-8473 Email: [email protected]

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